Photos HGTV

Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the floor, in caves, or in the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames is present on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of early indoor fire pits was that they produced hazardous or annoying smoke within the house.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in buildings, but venting smoke relied on open windows or holes in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open fire burned with all the smoke climbing into the port in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be coated so rain and snow wouldn't enter.

Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to prevent smoke from dispersing a room and vent it outside via a wall or roof. These could be put against stone walls, instead of taking up the center of the space, and this enabled smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke out. They made it feasible to give the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to put fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They did not come into general use instantly, however, since they were expensive to build and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. The 18th century saw two major developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier area on very top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox which has been better at drawing up the smoke and from the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant warmth projected into the room. Rumford's design is the foundation for modern kitchens.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more traditional spectra based on rock and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it depended on simple layouts with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on supplying quality stone. Stone fireplaces at this time have been a symbol of wealth, which to a degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for its relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficiency, based on the plan.

Historically they were utilized for heating a dwelling, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or alternative flue allows exhaust to escape. A fireplace may have the following: a foundation, a hearth, a firebox, a mantelpiece; a chimney (used in laundry and kitchen fireplaces), a grate, a lintel, a lintel pub, house overmantel, a damper, a smoke room, a throat, a flue, and a chimney filter or afterburner.

Related Images with Photos HGTV

1000+ ideas about White Fireplace Mantels on Pinterest Mantle ideas, White fireplace and

On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, where the projecting courses of brick function as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud functions to keep rainwater out of the exterior of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a much greater problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the traditional masonry chimney, that divides up all but the rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor integrated into the crown or cap.

Organizations like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to various studies, fireplaces can pose a substantial health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it is not great for you.

Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass fire boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for either gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.

Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, several states and local counties have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. They need to be properly sized to the area to be heated. There are also air quality control issues due to the amount of moisture that they discharge into the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the outside of the structure.

55.5quot; Kennedy Grand White Electric Fireplace

AccessoriesFor the interior, common in recent Western cultures include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire dogs, all of which cradle fuel and accelerate burning. A grate (or flame grate) is a frame, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel to your fire. Heavy metallic firebacks are sometimes utilized to catch and re-radiate warmth, to protect the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metal frames set before the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ash. For fireplace tending, tools comprise pokers, bellows, tongs, shovels, brushes and instrument racks.

As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has changed from one of requirement to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for warmth on chilly days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the home. These fire pits were generally centered within a room, allowing more individuals to gather around it.

1000+ ideas about White Fireplace Mantels on Pinterest Mantle ideas, White fireplace and

Gallery Cartmel 48quot; Polar White Marble Fireplace Suite Fireplaces Are Us

Many defects were found in ancient fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most renowned fireplace performers of the time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design that was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with an emphasis on the quality of the materials used in their construction, as opposed to their dimensions.

From the 1800s most new fireplaces were made up of two parts, the surround and the insert. The surround consisted of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, typically in wood, marble or granite. The insert was where the fire burnt, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to add a cozy ambiance to homes.

Gallery Cartmel 48quot; Polar White Marble Fireplace Suite Fireplaces Are Us Video

Some fireplace units include a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also enhanced with the use of a fireback, a sheet of metal which sits behind the flame and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but can also be made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, intended to warm the air. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so as the 15th century. The best method to gauge the output of a fireplace is in case you notice you are turning the thermostat down or up.

Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes developed to burn cleaner and can reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first stage the initial heat is provided through a large glass window while the flame is burning. During this time period the construction, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from its surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to guarantee a constant room temperature.white fireplace